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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26844010">Pink Tones</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AILiSeki/pseuds/ailixandrite2dot0'>ailixandrite2dot0 (AILiSeki)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Promtober 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:15:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,437</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26844010</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AILiSeki/pseuds/ailixandrite2dot0</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 4 of Promtober by steven-universe-au-prompts: on the run</p>
<p>One day, out of nowhere, Pearl finds herself free of White Diamond’s mind control.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Pink Diamond's Original Pearl | Volleyball &amp; Spinel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Promtober 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953256</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Pink Tones</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is late because to be honest I had given up on the challenge for personal reasons, but then right before sleeping I was looking for fics to read and saw the Volleyball/Spinel tag and this dumb AU idea came to me.</p>
<p>This is set somewhere between Pink’s “death” and Change Your Mind, I am really not decided on when.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>White Diamond was perfect, so it was impossible that her powers ever failed. So, when Pearl saw the light pink tones finding the way back into her form, and with a start realized that she was seeing again, thinking again, she knew it was no accident.</p>
<p>She had no idea what to do. White Diamond hated when other gems spoke out of turn. Pearl wasn’t sure of how long she had been filled by her Light, and she couldn’t tell what happened during that time, but she learned a few things during it. White Diamond hated imperfection - Pearl, like Pink, had been under the impression that the other Diamonds did as well, but after sharing of White’s Light she knew whatever they felt didn’t come close to what the oldest Diamond did - and she couldn’t bother with lesser issues. Surely she didn’t even think of the little broken pink Pearl fidgeting in a corner, unused to being herself.</p>
<p>Pearl knew she could, and would, take over her mind again at any moment. She also knew that she didn’t want it. She didn’t consider herself to be a disobedient gem - sure, she broke some rules, but she only had the courage to do so when Pink was there with her, so it didn’t really count. But right now, any fear or reservations she had were overwhelmed by how much she didn’t want to spend another millennium with her mind controlled.</p>
<p>She took a step to the side, hesitant. She knew White Diamond wouldn’t look down, wouldn’t notice, but still. Still. Another trembling step. And another, and then Pearl was running to the door, and the Diamond didn’t even blink, too occupied with more important matters.</p>
<p>Once in the halls, Pearl tried to walk as properly as she could. Thankfully, just as she remembered, no one minded a Pearl. They didn’t even look at her long enough to notice her crack or to recognize who she was. Without the white glow she was just a regular Pearl, and as long as she walked as if she knew where she was going - as if she was following orders - she was almost invisible.</p>
<p>Pearl didn’t really know where she was going. She couldn’t go to Pink’s room, it was too obvious and… she hesitated on her next step, for just a moment, not enough to blow her cover. She <em>knew</em> Pink wouldn’t be there. She didn’t know the details, wasn’t sure of how long ago it had been, but White Diamond had focused too much on the issue for Pearl not to know. It wasn’t exactly grief, a word better suited to what Pearl felt now that she remembered, her steps a bit slower, but it was something. A big hole in the perfect knowledge White Diamond had of everything, one that was always there, irritating, no matter how much she tried to ignore it.</p>
<p>Pearl let her feet lead her to a warp pad. Maybe if she warped far away enough, was quiet enough, then her existence would be simply forgotten, and she wouldn’t have to be taken by the white Light again. It sounded like a plan. Just, where?</p>
<p>She stepped on the warp pad, making up her mind.</p>
<p>The garden was visibly long abandoned, many of the plants dried and dead, while others were overgrown, taking on sinister forms as their branches curled way bigger than they were supposed to be. Pearl had expected for this, after all, who else but Pink could take care of that place? She imagined herself staying there among those creatures, that had no one to look after them, no one to guide them to their proper ways, and that went wild or died. Which one would she be?</p>
<p>But a different form among the vines and thorns caught her eye. A bright, flower colored form, that at first glance seemed to belong with them.</p>
<p>Until it shifted, slowly.</p>
<p>“Darn it, I moved.” A low voice, rough with disuse said.</p>
<p>“… Spinel?” Pearl called. She hadn’t expected to find a familiar face. Or as familiar as she could be, covered by the plants.</p>
<p>“I thought it was Pink.” The other gem replied, and sure, it was her. Under it all, she sounded much like Pearl remembered, but something was off. Like she was trying too hard to sound cheerful when she wasn’t. “You made me lose it.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry…” Pearl took a few hesitant steps towards Spinel. She had so many questions, but she also ended up being the one who had to give bad news.</p>
<p>Spinel turned her head to her. “I… I thought you were gone. Pink wouldn’t tell me what happened but she was always with this other Pearl, so I thought…”</p>
<p>Pearl felt something at the mention of <em>the other Pearl</em>, something she couldn’t name but didn’t like. She shook her head, pushing the feeling away.</p>
<p>“It’s a long story.” And it wasn’t one Pearl wanted to talk about. She had something more important to tell. “Pink is… she’s not coming back, you know…”</p>
<p>The plants that reached where Spinel’s shoulders must be moved down slightly.</p>
<p>“I guessed so. I guessed something must have happened… She- is she…?”</p>
<p>Pearl shook her head. “She’s… gone. Really gone.” She couldn’t bring herself to be more explicit than it, but she didn’t want to leave any doubts.</p>
<p>Spinel’s eyes filled with tears, and Pearl felt her own too. She closed the distance between them and hugged Spinel, ignoring the plants still covering her form.</p>
<p>They cried in silence for a long time. Spinel’s arms eventually stretched to hug Pearl back, looping a couple of times around her body.</p>
<p>Spinel looked up at Pearl, eyes full of questions, and Pearl swallowed as she realized she probably wouldn’t have the answers to them.</p>
<p>She found herself telling everything she knew, and even explaining about being mind-controlled and the small, terrifying glimpses she took into White Diamond’s mind. Spinel disentangled herself from the plants, and the two sat down together, trying to comfort each other.</p>
<p>It had always been so easy to them, to be friendly to one another, probably thanks to their common friend. But Pink wasn’t there anymore, and it was still easy. Spinel rested her head on Pearl’s shoulder, tears finally drying.</p>
<p>“What now?” She asked.</p>
<p>“I can’t go back to Homeworld,” Pearl said. “I can’t- not again.”</p>
<p>Spinel softly squeezed her arm. “So you want to stay here?”</p>
<p>Pearl looked around at the depressing scenery around her. There were bits of Pink all around but they were all distorted, speaking more of her absence than of who she used to be.</p>
<p>It wasn’t a place full of pleasant memories anymore.</p>
<p>“I don’t know where else I could go.” She shrugged. “What about you? Will you stay here?”</p>
<p>Spinel sighed. “I don’t want to. But I also don’t know where else I could go.”</p>
<p>Pearl looked at the stars, trying to think of anything to say. Her eyes caught a small planetoid, a giant hole in its center. She had warped there once.</p>
<p>“Did Pink leave any more of her things around here?”</p>
<p>She remembered seeing some things lying around there. An injector, some other machines she couldn’t begin to understand… and a ship. A small ship.</p>
<p>Spinel followed her eyes. “Maybe? Why?”</p>
<p>Pearl shook her head. “Just a dumb idea.”</p>
<p>“I like dumb ideas.” Spinel replied, and that was the closest to the old Spinel she sounded like so far.</p>
<p>“I was just thinking… if we could get a ship… we could travel together. Maybe find a place…” She sighed. “It’s dumb.”</p>
<p>“Traveling with you sounds fun.” Spinel said. “Can you even fly a ship?”</p>
<p>“I think I can,” Pearl said, face taking a deeper pink shade. “But we could get caught.”</p>
<p>“We could get caught here too.” Spinel argued.</p>
<p>“You didn’t do anything wrong. I did. You should probably not stick around me.”</p>
<p>Spinel moved so they would be facing each other. “Pearl, I have been standing in there,” she pointed to where she was, a strange pile of plants looking as if they missed her now in the place, “all alone. I really don’t look forward to continuing that.”</p>
<p>Pearl’s face softened.</p>
<p>“You… you are the only friend I have left.” Spinel added. “I don’t want to lose you.”</p>
<p>Pearl took her hand and softly squeezed it. “I’m not leaving you, not unless you want me too.”</p>
<p>Spinel stepped forward and hugged her again. “So let’s do it! Let’s find a ship!”</p>
<p>Pearl felt her lips curling up. This was the first smile she had since her mind was back. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Why was Pearl freed from the mind control? It was actually an accident, White lost her focus and it happened. White is too stubborn to ever admit she made a mistake, and Pearl was convinced by the whole “I’m perfect” talk, so she doesn’t think it was a mistake.</p>
<p>There is also this small hc that while Pearl wasn’t conscious during the time she was mind-controlled and has no idea of what her body did during it, or of how much time passed, she can remember some of the things White thought while controlling her, mainly things White thought repeatedly during the time, which is how she knows Pink was dead, because White thought about Pink’s death a lot, but she was more stuck in the thought that “Diamonds can’t die, it’s impossible” than on anything else.</p>
<p>I didn’t tag this as romantic because at this point of the story Pearl and Spinel are just friends, but I totally see them becoming space rebel girlfriends.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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